Nuclear Regulatory Commission October 2017 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 5 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.28, ``Quality Assurance Program Criteria (Design and Construction).'' This regulatory guide (RG 1.28) updates the guidance to endorse, with clarification or exceptions, multiple revisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard NQA-1 titled ``Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications.'' The proposed revision describes methods that the NRC considers acceptable for establishing and implementing a quality assurance (QA) program for the design and construction of nuclear power plants and fuel reprocessing plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ``Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Material Control and Accounting of Special Nuclear Material.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Commission Programs.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-8056, ``Instructions for Recording and Reporting Occupational Radiation Dose Data.'' This DG is a proposed Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 8.7 of the same name. The DG addresses issues that were identified after Revision 3 was issued in December 2016. The DG reinstates the long-standing staff position concerning a licensee's consideration of prior occupational dose when making prospective occupational dose monitoring determinations. The DG retains the guidance from Revision 3 on completing NRC Form 4, ``Cumulative Occupational Dose History,'' and NRC Form 5, ``Occupational Dose Record for a Monitoring Period.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, 10 CFR part 81, ``Standard Specifications for Granting of Patent Licenses.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will convene an evidentiary session to receive testimony and exhibits in the uncontested portion of this proceeding regarding the application of Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) for combined licenses (COLs) to construct and operate two additional units (Units 6 and 7) at the Turkey Point site in Miami-Dade County, Florida. This mandatory hearing will concern safety and environmental matters relating to the requested COLs.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a petition for rulemaking dated May 1, 2017, from David Lochbaum with co- petitioner Paul Gunter, on behalf of the Union of Concerned Scientists and Beyond Nuclear (the petitioners), requesting that the NRC ``promulgate regulations that establish acceptable conditions for use of compensatory measures (e.g., fire watches, surveillance cameras, etc.) during periods when fire protection regulations are not met.'' The petition was docketed by the NRC on May 26, 2017, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-50-115. The NRC is examining the issues raised in PRM- 50-115 to determine whether they should be considered in rulemaking. The NRC is requesting public comment on this petition.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and is issuing License Amendment Nos. 84 and 83 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee); for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia. The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information that is requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment and exemption to Combined Licenses (NPF-91 and NPF-92), issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. (SNC), and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (together ``the licensees''), for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of the latest version of NRC Form 3, ``Notice to Employees.'' The NRC Form 3 describes certain responsibilities and rights of employers and employees who engage in NRC-regulated activities. Licensees are required by law to post the form at prominent locations at the workplace to permit workers to view it easily. Additionally, the NRC is announcing that future revisions of Form 3 will be publicized through an alternative electronic means in addition to the Federal Register.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80 to STP Nuclear Operating Company (licensee), the operator of the South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2. Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80 authorize operation of STP by the licensee at reactor core power levels not in excess of 3,853 megawatts thermal for each unit, in accordance with the provisions of the STP renewed licenses and technical specifications. In addition, the NRC has prepared a record of decision (ROD) that supports the NRC's decision to renew Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-76 and NPF-80.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of three amendment requests. The amendment requests are for Hope Creek Generating Station, R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, and Wolf Creek Generating Station. For each amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration. Because the amendment requests contain sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) and safeguards information (SGI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI and SGI for contention preparation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revision to its policy statement on reporting abnormal occurrences (AOs) to Congress. The revised policy statement adds more specific criteria for determining those incidents and events that the Commission considers significant from the standpoint of public health or safety for reporting to Congress and the public, and makes the policy consistent with recent changes to NRC regulations. The revised AO criteria contain more discrete reporting thresholds, making them easier to implement and ensuring more consistent reporting.